Norway, spearheaded by star striker Erling Haaland, has taken an early lead in Group I of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, which includes Italy. The Norwegian team secured a convincing 4-2 victory over Israel on Tuesday, following their 5-0 triumph against Moldova in the opening round.

With these results, Norway now sits atop the group standings after two rounds of matches. Estonia also made their mark by defeating Moldova 3-2 away, joining Israel with three points in the table.

Italy, who was placed in Group I after a narrow 5-4 aggregate loss to Germany in the Nations League quarter-finals, is set to begin their World Cup qualifying campaign on June 6 with an away match against Norway in Oslo. This will be followed by a home game against Moldova on June 9.

The Azzurri have faced recent challenges, failing to secure a win in their last three matches. They suffered a 3-1 home defeat against France in November, followed by a loss and a draw against Germany in the March Nations League quarter-finals. However, prior to these setbacks, Italy had won four out of five matches, with one draw, following their elimination from EURO 2024 by Switzerland last summer.

As the qualifying campaign unfolds, Italy will need to regain their form to challenge Norway’s early dominance in the group and secure their place in the 2026 World Cup.